Love's a Mystery
by Butterfly Wishes
Summary: When Harry and Hermione reveal their secret relationship, Ron's a little upset. He runs off to hide in the Room of Requirement. Who should find him but Miss Lovegood herself?


_Author's note: I originally wrote this piece for a writing contest over at but I decided to post it here to see what you all thought. I don't usually write Ron love stories, nor do I ever really even think about Luna, but I like this piece. I hope you enjoy it, too._

_Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters, nor do I own their world. Those belong to the wonderful J.K.R. I merely own the plot and storyline, but am making no money off of this._

**Love's a Mystery – A Ron and Luna Story**

"There you are, Ron!" exclaimed a girlish voice from behind the tall redhead. The boy sighed inwardly and rubbed his cobalt blue eyes.

"Yes, Ginny, I've been here all along," commented the boy, rolling his eyes and turning around to face his much shorter sister. Her flaming red hair was in disarray and her brown eyes were concerned.

"Don't be sarcastic with me, Ron. We've been worried sick!" she said shrilly, throwing her arms around his neck. Ron stumbled back a step but caught himself, then pushed the girl off of his body.

"Who's 'we'?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. Ginny stared up at him in disbelief.

"Who else other than your best friends and me?" she asked. Ron shrugged and looked away.

"Oh, Ron, don't be so sore. Harry and Hermione have been asking every Gryffindor they run into if they've seen you. Nobody knows where you are – except me, that is, since I'm standing here with you now," said Ginny, pausing to take a deep breath. "And I mean, I wouldn't know where you were if I wasn't here, but I am, so obviously I do know where you are, and—"

"Ginny!" exclaimed Ron, putting a large hand over her mouth. "Merlin's beard, you talk a lot!"

"Well excuse me, Mr. I'm-too-stubborn-to-admit-my-friends-are-happy!" Ginny glared up at her brother.

"They should have told me."

"Just because Harry and Hermione didn't want to reveal their relationship right away doesn't give you a right to pout, you prat!" Ginny said, her voice rising. Ron glared back down at her.

"They should have told me," he repeated, then turned and began to walk away. "Don't come looking for me again, Gin."

"I can't promise I won't."

"You realize that if anybody should be angry, it should be you!" Ron said suddenly, turning on his heel and striding forward, grabbing Ginny's shoulders and shaking her. "You've had a crush on Harry ever since you saw him!"

"And that's what it was. A crush. While sometimes I still do think about how it could have been, I don't regret dating Seamus," she said softly. Her eyes widened considerably.

"Oh, no, I can't believe I let that slip! Ron, don't hurt him!"

"Don't worry. I won't. Just tell him he'd better not break your heart, or I'll come after him," Ron growled, turning again and rushing from the room. He sped down the cold stone hallway, ignoring Ginny's cries to calm down and listen. Her voice faded as the distance between them increased, and soon he could hear her no longer.

When he finally slowed down, he found himself standing at the end of the hallway where the Room of Requirement resided. He hadn't visited since he was fifteen, two years ago. He knew Harry still went there at times to think about everything that had passed and that what awaited him. His thoughts turned dark and he wondered if Harry and Hermione went there to be alone so they could snog.

Let them snog, see if I care, thought Ron angrily, striding down the hallway. As he passed the blank wall where the door would appear, he thought of what he needed. I want a place to think.

Ron reached the other end of the hallway and turned back, passing the wall space and thinking again. I want a place where I can be alone.

He turned to pass it a third time. I want... the Burrow.

A wooden door appeared where the wall had previously been blank. Ron reached forward and took the silver knob in his hand, turned it, and wrenched open the door.

It was exactly as if he had stepped into his home. He was in an exact replica of the kitchen in the Burrow. Ron closed the door and dropped into a chair at the table, sighing and burying his face into his arms.

He jolted awake several hours later, alerted by a sudden noise. Someone was in the room with him. He raised his head and widened his eyes to attempt to see, but the darkness sunk into his eyes and prevented vision. And then, a light switched on, and he cried out in pain from the sudden burning glare.

"Hello, Ronald," said a tender voice, drifting over Ron's ears like music. He blinked back tears and looked at the door, where a young woman was standing with her blonde hair half over her shoulder and her wand tucked behind her ear.

"'Lo, Luna," sighed Ron, turning to look at the table. Luna walked slowly over to the table and dropped next to Ron. He noticed she was wearing slippers that looked oddly like Kneazles.

"Ginny told me you ran away," she said softly. Ron looked up, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Why would she tell you?"

"I assume, Ronald, because we have become friends within the past year, and you would not speak to your own sister or your best friends," Luna said mystically. Ron rolled his eyes and snorted.

"Right, the lovebirds."

"I was not aware you owned any birds other than that owl of yours," said Luna. Ron stared at her for a moment and then laughed.

"No, Luna, I meant in the sense that Harry and Hermione were—"

"I know what you meant," she interrupted, smiling slightly. "I merely wanted to make you laugh."

"Oh. Well thanks, that helped a little," Ron admitted, smiling back at her. They fell silent, gazing at each other and smiling.

"You are quite handsome," Luna said abruptly. Ron's face turned a red to match his hair.

"Thanks," he mumbled, looking at the table and finding a mark exactly like the one at home. He traced a finger over it, remembering when he had gnawed the edge of the table while he was teething.

"Are you not going to comment on my beauty?"

"What?" Ron asked, laughter in his voice again. Luna tilted her head to one side.

"I have found that it is polite to return a compliment if one is given to you," Luna said seriously. Ron frowned.

"Really?" he asked. Luna nodded slowly. Ron scratched his head and looked up at the ceiling.

"Uh, I guess you're, um, pretty," Ron said, looking back down at her. She smiled slightly.

"Just pretty?"

"You're beautiful," Ron blurted, and turned bright red. Luna covered her mouth with her hand and giggled softly behind it.

"Why do you never try and find a girlfriend?" asked Luna suddenly. Ron tugged at his shirt collar.

"Because I don't really like any girls right now," he said. That's not true, squeaked a voice in the back of his head. You like Loony Luna Lovegood.

Shut up, you, thought Ron, not taking his eyes off of the girl in front of him. Her silvery-blue eyes were focused on his nose, it appeared.

"Do you like me?"

"Yes. I mean, no, not like... Yes, but not..." Ron stuttered, reddening even further.

"I know you like me as a friend. But would you ever consider me good enough to be your girlfriend?" Luna asked slowly, moving her eyes back up to his own. Ron froze.

"Because I've thought often about us becoming closer."

"Uh..."

"That's okay. I understand," she said sadly, sounding nothing like her usually odd self. She stood and trod towards the door. Ron shot up and grabbed her hand.

"No, don't—" he started, pulling her around, though being interrupted as their lips smacked together. Shocked, Ron made no move to pull away or continue the accidental lip lock. Luna, however, took this as a response to her question and leaned into Ron, dropping her arms around his neck. Ron came suddenly back to his senses and began to pull away, when he realized he enjoyed the feel of her lips against his. He encircled her waist with his arms and deepened the kiss, smiling slightly.

"Does this mean you consider me your girlfriend?" Luna asked mistily, her eyes foggy. Ron grinned.

"I guess so."

"You guess?"

"Yeah," Ron said. Luna smiled at him and kissed him gently, then rested her head against his shoulder.

"I love you," Luna whispered into his neck, sending a shiver up Ron's spine. He pulled away from her, eyes wide with bewilderment.

"What?"

"I love you. If it's not too soon to say so," she replied, shrugging simply. Ron stared at her for a moment, his mind and feelings racing, and then grinned widely.

"I love you, too." Luna leaned forward and caught Ron's lips in another tender kiss.

Harry and Hermione weren't the only lovebirds anymore.


End file.
